Selective delivery filing cabinet



April 18, 1950 E. BERTELLO SELECTIVE DELIVERY FILING CABINET 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1946 8 6 a n 4 w 4 h, "k E 0 m 7 F9 4 6 4 5 9 w 6 am 0 90 jl 3 m /0 Woo u 0 9 3 W 0 Q a n La T "w 4 F r] mm N1 1 W E N ..L T E E D E 1 r fi E 2 3 ATTORNEY April 18, 1950 E. BERTELLO 2,504,629

SELECTIVE DELIVERY FILING CABINET Filed July 22, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VENTOR Enritu El ErtEHm ATTORNEY April 18, 1950 E. BERTELLO 2,504,629

v SELECTIVE DELIVERY FILING CABINET Filed July 22, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Enrica Eer'telln,

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE Application July 22, 1946, Serial No. 685,566 In Italy April 17, 1946 14 Claims.

This invention relates to filing cabinets or the like, and more particularly to automatically operated cabinet devices.

The present invention, briefly, comprises a de tachable drawer-carrying drum and selectively operated mechanism for rotating the drum through a given angle. This mechanism includes a contact ring synchronized with the drum and electrically connected with a broken conductor ring by meansof a brush." This contact ring is selectively positioned relative to the break in the conductor ring by slidable elements, the movement of which is controlled by the keys of a keyboard. The contact ring and drum are then rotated until the brush encounters the reak in theTconductor ring, which brings the drum to stop in the position required by the operator. In addition, the apparatus includes mechanism for automatically opening and closing the selected file drawer upon the selective movement of the drum.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as' to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following descriptionofa specific embodiment when read in connecton' with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figuresand in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective" of afile cabinet inaccordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is aside view in elevation of the apparatus, with the cabinet wall removed;

Fig. 3 isa View in elevation of the opposite side of theapparatus;

Figflflis" an enlarged fragmentary cross-sec tiori'a'l View through the control keyboard and showing the keymechanism;

Fig? 5"is' a cros's 'sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6'is an enlarged schematic view of an electromagnetically operated actuating mechanism;

Fig. '7 is anenlarged plan view of the key controlled mechanism for selectively controlling the rotation of the'drum;

Fig 8' is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8+8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the mechanism for stopping and holding the drum;

Eig. 10 is a di'agrammatic layout of the drawer opening'and closing anddrum-driving meche msm;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary side-view of a portionof the drawer operating-mechanism:

Fig. 12 is a'fragmntary plan View of the connectionbe'tween the drawer moving mechanism and the selected drawer; and

Fig. 13 isa diagrammatic layout of the electric" control system and mechanism.

Since the apparatus has many component parts or mechanisms, each partand its operation will be described separately in order to render itmore" clear, and the complete general operation of the apparatus will be eventually summarized. The essential main parts or mechanisms which con stitute the apparatus comprise the key system mechanism; the drum rotating control mechanism; the drum stopping mechanism; the drawer] operating mechanism and the control circuits.

the stated order.

The apparatus, preferably, is housed in acabinet;

as shown in Fig. l, which substantially encloses the apparatus and is provided with a file drawer opening 0 behind a work-table W which has a' keyboard X conveniently at one side thereof. The keyboard X comprises a series of selector keys I and two control switches 99 and P. Within the cabinet is rotatively mounted a drum 35which carries a plurality of radially positioned and movably supported file drawers S, and the foregoing mechanisms are arranged and adapted, upon the" actuation of a selected key I, to rotate the drum" to position a drawer, correspondingto the key,

in front of the opening 0 and then open'the drawer by moving it out through the openingand over the table W and subsequently to close the drawer.

The key selecting mechanism is adapted'to select the particularly desired drawer and, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, comprises two series of 3 immediately slides into the notch 2 of the key to thereby hold the key down.

A release member 4 is slidably mounted under the lock bars Band carries a plurality of release pins 6, one foreach end of each bar 3; The member 4 isspring retracted and cam biased to release position by means of a follower roller 5 journalled on the member t and peripherally A'ratchet wheel 8;

operative by a pawl 8', is operatively fixed with engaging a cam wheell.

the cam wheel 5; The pawl 8 is connected to a leverlinkage Iii which is spring retracted and operatively connected to the core of an electromagnets. preferably of the solenoid type.

In view of the foregoing description, it is readily evident that when a selected key l is depressed, therespcctive lock bar 3 willimmedi- The foregoing mechanisms will be described in' ately seat in the notch 2 of the key to holdthe key down. The key is subsequently released by the action of the solenoid 9 on the lever linkage I!) which operates the pawl 8 to advance the ratchet wheel 8 and cam wheel 2. As the cam wheel 1 is rotated, one of the cam humps thereon will push the roller to bias the member 4 so that the respective release pin 5 will move the particular lock bar 3 out of the notch 2 to permit the key 1 to be raised by its spring.

The selectively depressed keys are cooperative with slidable rack members |2|l2 in the drum control mechanism in regulating the degree of rotation of the drum 35. As best shown in Fig. '7, the sliding rack members l2 and I2 mesh with the cog-wheels I3 which are loosely journalled on a shaft M which is driven by a sprocket l4. A pair of collars l5 are freely mounted on the shaft 14 on opposite sides of a drum it which is fixed on said shaft M.

The collars 55 each carry a pin IT on which is, pivoted a lever It which is also pivoted at one end on a fixed pivot 20. A spring l9 and spacer cam 2| in opposition thereto are interposed between the two levers l 8 adjacent their other ends. The spacer cam is operated by the secondary electro-magnet 9 by means of the system of levels 22, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 8. The slider rack I2 is provided with a finger 23 'en gaged in a groove in the head of a screw 24, which'works in a sliding block'Zt that is rigid with a rack 21 which meshes with a cog-wheel 28 that is mounted on a stub shaft 3!. The wheel 28 is coaxially 'fixedto a conducting ring 29' having an insulated sector 36. .A contactring 32 is also mounted on the shaft 3| and has abrush 32 which electrically engages the conductor ring 29. The contact ring 32 is fixed with a sprocket 33, which is synchronized, by means of a chain 34, with the drawer-holding drum 35. At their rearward ends, the slider This system works as follows: The action of the secondary electro-magnet 9 actuates the leverage 22 which causes the spacer cam 25 to tilt, whereupon the levers [8 are permitted to be biased toward each other by the spring [9, thus causing the collars I 5 to. engage the cog-wheels I3, to which the motion of the shaft M is then communicated. As a consequence, the sliders l2 and !2 travel until their forward ends strike the shanks of the depressed keys I. In the meantime, while the slider l2 causes the finger 23 and the screw 26 to travel longitudinally for a distance equal to the stroke of the slider itself,

the slider I2, by means of the rack 25' and gearin'g 25-25", causes the same screw to rotate so as to carry the block 25 for a distance equal to the sum of the strokes of the two sliders. As the block 26 is fastened to the rack 21, the latter will cause the conductor ring 29 to rotate inproportion to the spacing of the depressed keys. Contemporarily, the contact-ring 32 rotates synchronously with the drum 35, until its brush 32, sliding on the periphery of ring 29, reaches the insulated sector 35, whereupon the electric circuit through the rings 29 and 32 is broken and the 'electro-magnet 9 is tie-energized. The movement of the solenoid core to de-energize position actuates the leverage 22 to rotate the spacer cam to bias the levers apart and thereby open or disengage the friction-clutch system !5-I6- I 1-4 8, which permits the counterweights 38 to the jaws 4B and 42'.

drawer-holding frame is free.

pull the sliders, which are now free, back into their initial position.

The drum-stopping mechanism is best illustrated in Fig. 9, wherein it will be seen that the drum 35 is provided with stop pins 39 in a number equal to that of the drawers which are carried by the drum. A catch 42, having a fixed jaw 42' and a spring-jaw 40, pivoted on a pin 4! on the catch 42, is mounted adjacent the periphery of the drum 35 for cooperation with the pins 39., The catch 42 comprises a shank which is mounted on a frame that is pivotally mounted on a pivot 4 and actuated, through the conmeeting-rod t5, by the secondary electro-magnet 9 (Figs. 6 and 9). The catch shank 42 has a controlling spring 45 and terminates in a piston 4'! working in the cylinder 48. This mechanism is adapted to dampen the oscillations of the drum, due to'the force of inertia, at the moment of its stopping. To keep the amplitude of these oscillations within the required limits, the cylinder 48 is provided with a by-pass 49 connecting the two ends of the cylinder and provided with a valve 59. Moreover, the catch 42 is connected by means of a lever system 5|, to a pawl 52 which cooperates with a ratchet 52, attached to a cam-wheel 53 that actuates a lever 54. The latter has a lug and is biased by, a spring 55 to seat thelug. in the notch 56 of .a rack-arm51 of the drawenholding frame.

This mechanism works as follows: When the drum 35 stops, the electro-magnet causes the lever 45 to pull the catch mechanism, pivoted at 44, towards the drum to engage a pin 39 between The oscillation of the catch 42, due to the force of inertia, causes the camwheel5t to rotate by means of the levers 5| and pawl and ratchet 52, thus disengaging the lug 54 from the recess 55, whereuponthe arm 51 of the The amplitude of the oscillation of the locking device is controlled by the valve 50. 'The unlocking of the drum takes place through the reverse action of the mechanism when the secondary electro-magnet 9 is again put into operation.

The drawer operating mechanism is best shown in Fig. 10. A cog-wheel 59 is loosely j ournalled on a transverse shaft 58 and is provided with a friction-clutch 6t and clutch spring 6|. The cogwheel 59 is driven by the pulley 62 by means of the gearing 5,3, the pulley 62 being driven by the belt I from the motor M as best shown in Fig. 2. The gearing 63 is provided with another frictionclutch 64, which drivingly engages therimof the ends to springs 61 and 61 respectively. These drums 65 and 65' are respectively fastened to the discs 68 and 68 and to the cog-wheels 69 and 69'.

Fingers 10 and 10' are mounted on the discs and are adapted to engage cog-wheels H and H which are fixed on the cog-wheels 12 and 12' which carry fingers 13 and 13' that engage cogwheels 69 and 69'. The ends of the said fingers abut the conical surfaces of cones 16, 11, 18, 19, that are mounted on the shaft 58 and the action of which engages or disengages the fingers with the cog-wheels 69, 69', 1 I, H. The cog-wheel I2, through theidler gear 14, meshes with the cogwheel 15 which actuates the rack-arm 51 of the drawer-holding frame, whereas the cog-wheel 12' meshes directly with the cog-wheel 15' which actuates therack-arm 51' of said frame.

Each of the four above-mentioned:=cones 15.1;

1T,-18,'l9 are provided with acircular; groove. within each of which is inserted a finger 80 -car-" ried by a transverse rod 8| which'is actuated'bya-lever 82 that is connected; through a-system of lovers B3, to an auxiliary electro-magnet 84.

A spring'biasedlever 85 is pivotally mounted on the'lever hand this iever85 is actuated by a The ends of the flexible bands 66,-asbest shown in'Fig. 11, are fastened to a-slidable guide 89', at the'other end of which is attachedanother flexib1e'band99, which is wound upon thedr'um' 9!" that iscoaxial with a smaller drum 92; on which is wound still another flexible band 93 that is tensioned by a spring 94'. 9| and 92 is-also mounted a cog wheel 95, meshing' with the rack 99 which is' fixed to apiston 91 that fits in a cylinder 98 having a by-pass 99 and a control valve Hill and acts as a regulator or l dampener.

Assuming the system-to he inaninitial inter mediate positionA (Figj 10), the fingers Hi and 10" areengaged with the cog-wheels H and ll and when'the' motoris started the shaft 58 rotates,

driving the cog-wheels '1 I and H, which in their turn cause the drums 65 and 65' to rotate; thus windingthe flexiblebands' 66 and 66 andstretching the springs 61 and 61".

motor 'is throwri out of gear and the action of the electro-magnet 9 ceases, whereupon the lever 86;] acting on the spring-fi'ngerBE; forces the lever 82 totravel inthe direction shown by the arrow Bi" As a consequence, the finger l,lifted by the'co'ne TI, disengages from the cog-wheel H, while the 65$ which rotates under the action'of the spring 61, thus driving the cog wheel 72 which, by means of the gearing l l- H, drives the"rack arm- 'l to move the draWer-holding frame' from the drum 35."-

On the shaft ofthe drums Simultaneously, the electro-magnet 9 causes the lever 86110 reach the: position shown in Fig. 10. Conversely, when the" When the operator wants to retract the drawer,

hehasonly to'depressthekey 99 to close the circuit-of the auxiliary 'electro' ma'gn'et fidfwhicln through the action of the leverag'e'83," moves the lever 82 in the direction showhby the arrow C and the coritact 8'! keeps the'circuit closedf As the system travels in the i direction 0f arrow C, the i cone 18 disengages the finger 10' froni' the cog wheel'H" and theconelfi causes the finger 13' to engage the cog-wheel 69. At this moment, and under the hc'tiodof the spring 61", the drum 65' rotates, driving the cog-wheel I2 which, in

turn, drives in a reverse rotation the cog wh'eels 15 and 15, and by means of: the arm 51' the drawer-holding frame is pulled back into its original pcsition, thus interruptingfby means of-the contact'tg} the circuit of the auxiliary electromagnet fi l which, through the system of levers 83, restores the wholedevice to its original position A. The speed of the above-mentioned movementsis controlled by the regulator SL499, through the complex 89/96.

The general 1 functioning of the apparatus is theresultant of th synchronous and consecutive operation of the foregoihgmechaiiisms. Assume ing the apparatus is employed as a filingcaloinet;

although it may have other uses, every single sector in which the main drum is divided will bear aanumber; to which all the documentsicontaind-- in that sector will be referred; Supposing adocu ment cont'ained'in'the sector No: 36 is wanted, and as the keyboard isprovided witha series ofkeys .I corresponding-to the tens and another cor responding to the 'units,'the operator will depress the key markedt in the first series and that-- marked 6in the Second: series and the two keys will remain depressed.

The general switch R (Fig. 13) beingclosed, theoperator will press the'switch button-P, thus closing the circuit of the 'primary contactz elec tro magnet E, which in its turn closes the-circuitsK-and'K respectively pertaining to the- 5 motor Mand to the secondary electro-magnet 9;"

as wellas the auxiliary circuit K-', which substitutes'forthe circuit of the switch P. The electromagnet 9 isthereupon energized and causes the-spacer cam-2i *to tilt, so that the friction qclutch I3- |5lt, shown in Fig: 7, is operatively engaged? and the rack sliders l2 -l2" travel until"- they-strike the shank of thedepressed keys. Asa-consequence of the movement of the sliders 12- and iii, the conductor ring 29 rotatesto posixtion theinsulation sector 39 corresponding to thenumberformed on the keyboard'and-the springs fi'l and 6'! of the drawer-holding frame are loaded.

The operation of the solenoid also causes the pawlii' to swing into operative positionto release the-depressed keys I and the levers H to pull the latch IOI to release the catch H12 -fromthe previously employeddrawer I03; as shown in Fig; 6. Each drawer E93 of the series of draw 41ers S is provided with aratch I92 to normally retain the' d'rawer withinthedrum. Meanwhile, the lever 45 causes the jaws 49 and 42' to disengage the respective pin 39 of the drum- 35, 1 whereupon the drum is rotated under the ac--' tion'of the motor M and the transmission belt T electro-magnet 9 is de-energizedand its'core' resumes" its'initial position and drives the lever 45"into" its original position, thus causing the jaws 49 and 42' to catch the corresponding m 39.

Contemporarily, the oscillations caused by' tlie force of inertia of the drum'actuate' the'ratchct System52 and frees the arm 51 of thedrawer holding frame, the lever 86 causes thetransverse rod 8! to travel in the direction of the arrow B and the drawer frame is pushedoutjcarr'ying' with 'it the required drawer I03 of the series of drawers-S, the edge lll lof' the"d1'awerI03being"engaged in the groove m5 of theframe, as shown in Fig. 12. Simultaneously, the contact 88 is opened and remains open until thedrawer holding frame is pulled in again, thus avoid ing any possible mistake in the operation of the apparatus. Thede-energization of the solenoid 9 also causes the operation of thespacer cam 2! to disengage the friction-clutch l3| 4--l5-"- Hi thereby permitting the counter-weights 38 to retract the rack sliders l2-l2f andreturn the contact and conductorrings 29and 32 to initial position.

When the operator wants the drawento be pulled imhe presses the button 99 and zthe' mechanism actuating the drawer-holding frame will operate as previously described to retract the drawer into the drum 35, thus causing the safety contact-88 to close. then ready for further use.

-Although a certain specific embodiment'of the invention has been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of tne appended claims.

I claim:

A device comprising a rotatable drum, drawers mounted in said drum, means for rotating said drum including a contact ring electrically connected with a conducting ring having an insulated section in its periphery, means including a system of sliding members for determining the rotative position of said rings and the degree of rotation of said drums, a plurality of keys in a keyboard for limiting the movement of said sliding members, and means for automatically moving said drawers in and out of said drum when rotated to a predetermined position and including a drawer holding sliding frame, a system of drums for sliding said frame and having flexible bands wound thereon and attached to springs and controlled by a system of cog-wheels and fingers actuated by cones which are displaceable by a transverse rod under the selective action of two electromagnets.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said keyboard has a plurality of series of keys respectively corresponding to the numerical units of the drawers in said drum.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein each key has a recess for engagement by a looking bar, and said keyboard is provided with a resiliently biased member for disengaging said The apparatus is looking bar from said key recesses, a rachet systern for operating said member, and a secondary electromagnet for actuating said ratchet system.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein each slider corresponds to a series of keys, a friction clutch for operating said sliders, a clutch actuating means including two levers spring biased together and separated by an eccentric spacer, and electromagnetically operated means for operating said spacer.

5. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said sliders is provided with a finger engaging within a grooved head including a screw portion, operated and slidably moved axially thereby, a pinion operated by the movement of said screw, and the other slider is provided Withv a gear engaging said pinion to cause it to rotate.

6. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein one of said sliders is provided with a finger engaging within a grooved head including a screw portion, operated and slidably moved axially thereby, a pinion operated by the movement of said screw, and the other slider is provided with a gear engaging said pinion to cause it to rotate, said screw being threaded within a sliding block forming part of a rack, and a cog wheel engaging said rack and fastened with said conducting ring,

whereby to transmit to said ring the sum of rotation and movement of said screw,

7. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein said sliders are biased to starting position by bands 8 a double jawed spring catch lever which is swingingly mounted for selective engagement with one of a plurality of stops on said'drum correspond' ing to said drawers.

9. A device comprising a rotatable drum, drawrotated to a predetermined position and including a drawer holding sliding frame, a system of drums for sliding said frame and having flexible bands wound thereon and attached to springs and controlled by a system of cog-wheels and fingers actuated by cones which are displaceable by a transverse rod under the selective action of two electromagnets, said drawer holding sliding frame; including two spring actuated rack arms, which are'operated by said drum wound bands, and said drums are fastened to finger supporting discs and to cog wheels, 00g wheel supported fingers abutted by said first cog wheels, said first cog wheels, being connected to an arm through an idler wheel and a cog-wheel, said latter cog wheel being connected with said arm by another cog wheel. i

.10. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein the fingers abut grooved cones and are operated thereby to control engagement of the respective.

cog wheels.

11. A device as-defined in claim 9 wherein said transverse rod is provided with fingers operating in grooves in cones which are operated by a lever system, and secondary and auxiliary electromagnets control the operation of said lever system.

12. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein the drawer holding frame arm is provided with a recess for engagement by a spring catch, and a ratchet system for disengaging said catch and actuated by oscillations of the drum when it is stopped.

.13. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein said springs connected with said flexible bands are;

connected by secondary springs and bands with a regulator which includes a piston and a valve. 14. A device as defined in claim 9 wherein the electrical control of the device includes a double action switch.

ENRICO BERTELLO.

REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the 'file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 317,991, Bertello (A. P. 0.), published Apr. 27, 1943. 

